Fight Preview: Conor McGregor vs Dustin Poirier 3

Lightweight superstars Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier are set to square off for a third time at UFC 264 in July.

Just six months removed from their previous fight, the pair will aim to cement a #1 contender spot, with newly-crowned champion Charles Oliveira awaiting the winner.

Last Time Out

Back in January, the return of “The Notorious” was on everyone’s mind. With Khabib Nurmagomedov in talks to leave the sport, the lightweight title finally seemed a manageable feat for the contenders. With the knowledge of the first meeting in mind, McGregor entered the fight as a favourite over Poirier.

Adopting a boxing-heavy stance, McGregor left himself open to be taken down in the opening moments of round one. After a grappling exchange against the fence, McGregor found his feet and the fight returned to the centre of the Octagon. The Irishman controlled most of the boxing exchanges throughout the remainder of the round, with Poirier utilizing a calf kick that went unchecked on numerous occasions. Entering the second round, the low calf kick had evidently accumulated. As Poirier’s confidence grew, he seized an opportunity to close the show at 2:32 of round two, landing a sequence of punches on the immobilized McGregor, dropping him before Herb Dean stopped the fight.

Reflecting on the loss, Conor stated “I deserved to get the legs kicked off me”, referring to his outlook on Poirier as a “precursor to a fight with Pacquiao.”

What Has Changed?

A hefty criticism of McGregor has been his inactivity in the past few years. Entering the previous bout with just 40 seconds of Octagon time in the past 3 years, inactivity undoubtedly played a factor. Conor headed into the clash with a linear boxing approach against a world-class, former interim lightweight champion. This time, he is expected to display his traditional stance, a stance which has brought him success in the form of two world titles.

Poirier enters the third fight with a heightened aura of confidence in comparison to the previous clash. He knows he can take McGregor down and knows he can stand and trade with him. With five round wars against Holloway and Hooker in the past 2 years, ring-rust is far from an issue for the American. Dustin Poirier defied the odds in the previous meeting, and it’s safe to say nobody is doubting his abilities in the third clash.

McGregor, known for his brash and relentless trash talk and mental warfare, had adopted a calm demeanour in his previous two outings. However, a Twitter feud broke out between the two after Poirier revealed his charity was yet to recieve a donation from McGregor, a promise that Conor made prior to the bout.

McGregor, after firing back Poirier, has promised “No more Mr. Nice Guy” in relation to his upcoming bout. Rewinding to the pairs first bout in 2014, the mental warfare of McGregor unquestionably had an effect on Poirier, resulting in a brisk first-round finish for The Notorious.

Looking ahead to the third clash, there are a few question that are yet to be answered. Can Conor adopt and execute a different stance? Can he go face-to-face with the Octagon experience of Poirier? And finally, can Dustin keep a cool head in the face of an inevitable wave of mental warfare in the weeks leading to the bout?

How do you think the third fight plays out? Let us know in the comments!